After months of intra-coalition tensions, political instability and a complicated security situation, Israel has officially set the date for its next parliamentary elections.
Voting for the 26th Knesset will be held on October 27, 2026 – the latest possible date by law.
The news was announced today by the Chairman of the Knesset Committee, Ofir Katz (Likud party). The decision means that the current 25th Knesset will complete its full four-year term. This is the first time such an event has occurred since 1988, when the national unity government of Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Shamir was in power. The parliament's legal advisor, Sagit Afik, confirmed that there will be no special law to dissolve the Knesset early, and that the institution will end its summer session as planned on July 17 (this Friday), after which it will go on a pre-election vacation.
Why did this date come about?
In May and June of this year, the ruling coalition faced a deep crisis, caused by the mass dissatisfaction of the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) parties. They accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to fulfill his promise to pass a law that would permanently exempt their students in religious schools from mandatory military service. In June, the Knesset even passed a bill to dissolve parliament in first reading, which provided for early elections between September 8 and October 20.
In the end, Netanyahu managed to convince his partners that holding elections in September - immediately before the major Jewish religious holidays and on the eve of the painful anniversary of the "Hamas" attacks of October 7, 2023 - carried a huge risk of electoral disaster for the right-wing bloc. According to Israeli media, the prime minister chose to pay a high political price “on green” in order to preserve the integrity of his coalition for the vote in October.
Tense final week in parliament
Before the Knesset adjourned on July 17, the government activated an accelerated procedure to pass a series of highly contested bills. The coalition is rushing to secure key legislative victories for its electorate:
- Freezing arrests for Orthodox youth: Under pressure from religious parties, a law is being passed to temporarily halt the detention of Haredi draft evaders, despite last year's Supreme Court ruling that they must be mobilized.
- Extending conscription: Simultaneously with the compromise with the Haredim, the government is pushing through a law to increase mandatory military service for other citizens from 30 to 32 months.
- Weakening the Prosecutor General: Changes are being pushed forward aimed at limiting the powers of Prosecutor General Gali Baharav-Miara and facilitating her possible dismissal by the government.
- Separation by gender at university: Changes in the Law for the rights of students will be allowed at graduate schools and they will conduct master's and doctoral programs with separate training for husbands and women join the pack.
Reactions to positions and forecasts
The decision is for the election on October 27, during the pre-violation period, the acute reaction of the environment, position the leaders. Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, stated categorically: „We will speak on October 27. We will also replace the government with a clanto from the 7th October, we will also create a zionist government administration and we will restore the country. “Bishiyat Minister of Chile Troper pak cut off, why under no circumstances, no, but reinforce the coalition, voden from Netanyahu trace here.
The latest sociological studies in Israel show that the party "Yashar" is new, the former head of the General Staff, Gadi Eizenkot, is leading the minimum before the "Likud". to Netanyahu (22 will take 21 seats in the 120-member Knesset). The Segashnat governing coalition has remained far from the cherished majority of 61 deputies, which foretells that the three-month pre-election campaign has been exclusively contested and is underway.
Serve for sigurnost, including the director of the Shin Bet David Zini and the president Isak Herzog, the veche warned that se ochaquat seriosni opiti for foreign and domestic misinformation and insinuations in the election process with a whole weakening of Israeli society. Elect an election commission under the chairmanship of Noam Solberg from the Central Election Commission for supervision and leadership.
Identifiers: The Times of Israel, Ynet News, Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, Globes and Reuters